Einstein vs. The Universe

My
Dad is a big science guy. He's disgustingly intelligent + loves All
Things Scientific (yes, Trekkie status applies here). I have been quite
spoiled in this regard, because even if I don't understand (which is
more often than not), he still takes the time to introduce me to
scientific theories + the workings behind them. I will never forget him
explaining the doppler effect to me + my sister, while we were listening to Funeral for a Friend
in the car, while we made our fingers Riverdance. It has been this
introduction + constant education that has kept my curiosity alive, and
I've wanted to continue my education independently. (He's still around
sending me articles daily, didn't mean for that to sound fatalistic.)

I am currently reading The Elegant Universe
by Brian Greene. A little background before we proceed: I have never
taken a physics class in my life, but that hasn't stopped me from being
insatiably curious about it all. I admit, my brain does not
work like a scientist's. Which is part of the reason I love it. Glutton
for punishment. I attempt now to share with you all what I've been
reading.

My Dad recently sent me an article
which corresponded perfectly to the section of the book I was reading.
Einstein's theory of Special Relativity was being discussed in this
section, and before I summarize Special Relativity, a brief description
of General Relativity: all uniform motion is relative to the object that
is moving. For those of you who are unaware (and please for the love of
God, if you understand better than I, feel free to correct my ass), the
basic summary is this: "Special relativity incorporates the principle
that the speed of light is the same for all inertial observers
regardless of the state of motion of the source." Basically, Einstein
concluded that no matter if you (or any other object with mass) are
moving or standing still (which is relative to your POV, hence General
Relativity), the speed of light is always the speed of light (670 million mph), as nothing can outrun photons.

Now,
with that understood, let's move on to: gravity. Newton famously
discovered gravity, but didn't give any explanation as to what it
actually is. He only explained how it works. This set Einstein on a
decades long search as to what gravity is actually comprised of.

Newton's
Law of Universal Gravity states that every mass has a natural pull or
attraction to every other mass around it that is proportional to their
individual sizes and the distance between them. For example, the sun +
the earth. We orbit the sun because the sun is sending out signals of
attraction and "pulling us toward it." Similarly, that is why the moon
orbits the earth. The
mass of the earth + the pull it gives off. Special Relativity (deemed
"special" due to it only being applied to bodies in relative motion),
incorporates light into the equation. It deems light an essential
element to the way we unify space + time into spacetime. The reason
light was important was to demonstrate that no object can move faster
than the speed of light.

But Einstein went further. He determined
that if there were no massive bodies in space (i.e. the sun), it would
be a flat plane. He concluded that the space (and time, which is a whole
other beast) around the body, therefore, is warped. That the presence
of such a body on a flat, malleable plane, changes the space (and time)
around it. The warping of the space around the object is what creates
... gravity!

The article
I received from my dad verifies this theory. Another one of Einstein's
discoveries was that gravity + accelerated motion are effectively
interchangeable. If for instance, you want to duplicate the effects of
gravity, you can do so by accelerating an object at faster and faster
speeds (such as a Tornado ride at an Amusement Park or a rocket). This
is also confirmed in the findings of the Stanford University scientists,
who have been working on these theories for over 50 years.

The
point of me writing this is 1. to understand it and 2. to share with
y'all science + non-science-minded individuals how incredible it is. I
am now beginning the section of the book that addresses Quantum
Mechanics. Quantum Mechanics, although tested + proven true on more than
one occasion, is in direct conflict with our conceptions of General
Relativity. Scientists are now on the search to find one unifying theory
that incorporates all of these theories (which is what the
book is all about). According to Brian Greene, with all of their new
findings + theories, they are getting increasingly closer to finding
what they would call the Ultimate Theory. It's ... just a matter of
getting there. :)

Like I said, I am not a scientist, and there are
things I will probably never understand regarding physics, hidden
dimensions, and string theory. But, I'll never stop trying + I'm so
thankful Brian Greene wrote this book in a way that I can grasp these
concepts (although, how unbelievably hilarious would it be to find out
that everything I just wrote was completely false). I'm also thankful
that my Dad always taught me to never give up on something just because I
didn't understand it at first.

This
book has shown me how fluid science is. I suppose I succumbed a bit to
the notion that science = fact, The End. But, that's just not true.
(Which, of course, begs the question, why can't we be one with
science AND religion? But, that is another post for another day. ;))
With physics in particular, it shows us how beautiful,
and interwoven life is. Everything depends on the other, and if one
element of a thing "falters," it ripples + effects the bodies around it.
You can take this onto a human scale, and say that that is true for
your every day life. Me being in a bad mood can affect those around me,
but that's because they're suckers + haven't learned that you can
control your reactions to things. ;)

I named this post Einstein vs. The Universe
for a reason. Science is constantly evolving. I suppose that's due to
the fact that theories are in fact theories, and we are always on the
search. Some of these great minds have proven to be too limited,
misinformed, or maybe even wrong. (Hell, Einstein denounced Quantum
Mechanics til he was near his end + said it was the greatest mistake he
ever made!) But, that's what makes it beautiful. And that's what makes
their pursuits noble, in my not-so-humble opinion. Some people
misinterpret what science is all about, myself having been one of them.
It's a shame, since there is so much to learn and with the rate of
advancement of our technology, things will only become clearer + clearer
to us.

I do wish one thing. That more people who don't think they can understand science, and who may in fact be a little frightened
of it, would attempt to. It can come into perceived conflict with some
beliefs or people may not think they're "smart" enough, but, let me
burst ya bubble: none of us are. But at least try! I'm so glad I picked
up this book + so glad my Dad forced me to listen to things I didn't
have any interest in. Because isn't that the way it goes ... now I like broccoli. :)